Author
Topic: 21st century Pirates (Read 5428 times)

Well things have hotted up thats for sure. From what I hear the US ship is a stalemate, although there is a US Destroyer standing off. Must be very unusual for a ship of that nature to have a US crew. Usually its Phillipinos, Indians anyone else.

I do miss GWB. I miss his speeches, I miss that face that always looked like it was about to burst out laughing. He would be an interesting bloke to have a beer with.

I have listened to Obama reading his Memoir. I compare his speeches to it and have concluded that he is a robot. Not a lot of down to earth emotion, more like "I want everything I say to be recorded for prosperity" It sounding manufactured and monotonous.

credit where credit is due. POTUS gave the go ahead. skipper gave the orders. SEALs took the shots. round 1 to the americans.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I just finished listening to the press conference w/ ADM Gortney about the rescue of Captain Phillips. At the time it happened the USS Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat to calmer waters as the sea state was deteriorating. One of the pirates was on board the Bainbridge as the talks about obtaining Phillip's release continued. The lifeboat was approx. 25 m behind the Bainbridge when snipers on the fantail observed one of the pirates in the pilot house of the lifeboat pointing an AK-47 at the back of a tied up Phillips and the other two pirates on board were visible (at least shoulders and heads). The standing authority gave them clearance to engage the pirates if the life of the captain was in imminent danger. The on scene commander deemed this to be true and gave the order to fire. All three bad guys were taken out and then a rigid inflatable boat went to the lifeboat to retrieve Phillips. It is unknown at this point whether the shooters were SEALs or Marine Scout Snipers as both would have been available. This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage. Blackfive.

I just finished listening to the press conference w/ ADM Gortney about the rescue of Captain Phillips. At the time it happened the USS Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat to calmer waters as the sea state was deteriorating. One of the pirates was on board the Bainbridge as the talks about obtaining Phillip's release continued. The lifeboat was approx. 25 m behind the Bainbridge when snipers on the fantail observed one of the pirates in the pilot house of the lifeboat pointing an AK-47 at the back of a tied up Phillips and the other two pirates on board were visible (at least shoulders and heads). The standing authority gave them clearance to engage the pirates if the life of the captain was in imminent danger. The on scene commander deemed this to be true and gave the order to fire. All three bad guys were taken out and then a rigid inflatable boat went to the lifeboat to retrieve Phillips. It is unknown at this point whether the shooters were SEALs or Marine Scout Snipers as both would have been available. This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage. Blackfive.

Ok, so then let's find out who he is and give him credit. Though certainly all who took part deserve credit.

I'll take some of that credit back from Obama, but not all... whomever was on scene was on scene for a reason, and putting the right people on scene is good management, though I would have been more impressed if he had actually made the call for a rescue.